Jen Lebron Kuhney

Jen Lebron Kuhney is a member of the Watchdog team who has covered a variety of beats including public safety, the environment and City Hall. Before coming to the U-T, she worked at The Daily Transcript covering residential real estate, then the defense industry. She is the secretary of the Asian American Journalists Association and a coordinator for the CCNMA: Latino Journalists of California's annual Multicultural Journalism Workshop for high school students. Jen is a native San Diegan who grew up in Tierrasanta and graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University. You can follow her on Twitter @jenkuhney.

Stories by Jen Lebron Kuhney

The battle for the last seat contested seat on the San Diego City Council appears to be finely balanced between neighborhood issues and the bigger city picture. Councilwoman Sherri Lightner and retired businessman and former pension board president Ray Ellis are trying to show that they can juggle the needs of La Jolla, Carmel Valley and University City while navigating issues like the city budget, water rates and pension reform. Both candidates have said that ...

Mayor Jerry Sanders endorsed City Council hopeful Ray Ellis on Thursday, a rare move for a mayor who has largely avoided weighing in on council races. Sanders, who is leaving office in December because of term limits, praised the retired businessman he once appointed to the pension board. “When it comes to reform, I can tell you Ray gets it,” he said. Ellis said he is “honored to have Jerry’s support.” “Personally, it means a ...

Mayoral candidate Bob Filner said Wednesday that he wants to put half of the tax levied on hoteliers for the promotion of San Diego toward public safety — though the deal is not currently structured in a way to make that feasible. At a debate focused on public safety, the congressman also said if he had been mayor when the convention center expansion financing plan was structured — to raise $35 million annually, some of ...

Mayoral candidate Rep. Bob Filner received the backing of several activists Friday at San Diego State University. Filner was publicly endorsed by labor leader Lorena Gonzalez, gay rights activist Nicole Murray Ramirez, civil rights leader Bishop George D. McKinney and Stuart Milk, the nephew of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California. “I’m trying to create a base that celebrates diversity with every group — ethnic minorities, ...

Rep. Bob Filner’s bid for mayor received support from some of San Diego’s most prominent female current and former elected officials Thursday. The endorsements from the fellow Democrats might not have come as a surprise, but the lineup was notable: Assemblywoman Toni Atkins, Councilwoman Marti Emerald, state Sen. Christine Kehoe and former state Sen. Dede Alpert, among others. Filner has also received endorsements from women’s groups in San Diego including the National Womens Veterans Association, ...

San Diego  Mayoral candidate Bob Filner has called on his opponent, Carl DeMaio, to disclose any meetings and communication he has had with U-T San Diego Publisher Douglas Manchester and CEO John Lynch regarding a proposed stadium complex at the 10th Avenue Marine Terminal — a project DeMaio opposes. Filner made the request at a Wednesday news conference after a KPBS story focusing on the plan by Manchester and Lynch for the terminal, which ...

The budget situation in San Diego is mixed as officials look to the next fiscal year because of lower-than-expected returns on its retirement investments. The city’s budget committee met Wednesday to discuss the San Diego’s financial position after the end of the last fiscal year on June 30 and found some positives in light of uncertainty in the future. A letter from San Diego City Employees’ Retirement System CEO Mark Hovey said the retirement fund ...

San Diego  The effort to settle litigation over San Diego’s Fourth of July fireworks appeared to end Tuesday. The opposing lawyer took the option off the table after the council opted to hire outside counsel to aid with their case. The City Council voted 6-2 to hire Latham & Watkins, LLP to help with the environmental legal issues for up to $250,000 of billed hours. Marco Gonzalez, the environmental lawyer who filed five lawsuits ...

The San Diego City Council Monday unanimously rejected a bid to rezone designated open space for a power plant near Mission Trails Regional Park. The developer of the proposed Quail Brush plant for north of state Route 52 plans to forge ahead and seek state approval. But that will be a more difficult path now that the city of San Diego has joined Santee and residents from the area in opposition. San Diego Gas & ...

It took three and a half months after the June primary for the first real debate to be held between retired businessman Ray Ellis and incumbent Sherri Lightner over who should represent the council district that will determine the balance of power on the San Diego City Council. The soft-spoken Democratic councilwoman showed uncharacteristic moxie to defend her record, which was criticized by the Republican former pension board president. The 90-minute debate at the La ...

The City Council is poised to create new rules to keep the next mayor of San Diego in check. The city’s rules committee Wednesday unanimously voted to send Council President Tony Young’s “principles of good governance” to be discussed at a council meeting that will be held before the Nov. 6 election. Young’s rules focus largely on the mayor’s office communicating with the council about its budget, contract and labor plans. The ten principles include ...

The San Diego City Council Tuesday unanimously approved two out of three ordinances designed to keep banks accountable for distressed homes. The two ordinances aimed to give the city more tools to hold property owners responsible for abandoned properties and require banks doing business with the city to provide data about their lending, foreclosures and service to minority communities. The third ordinance, which has gained the most attention, is not expected to be discussed until ...

Councilwoman Sherri Lightner received some bipartisan support for her re-election bid Tuesday when two of her defeated opponents in the June primary announced their support for her. The political balance of the San Diego City Council hinges on the District 1 race between Lightner, a Democrat, and Republican retired businessman and former San Diego pension system president Ray Ellis. Ellis received 45.6 percent of votes during the primary to Lightner’s 41.5 percent. The remainder of ...

The Sycamore Landfill that borders Santee will be allowed to expand and operate 24 hours a day after the San Diego City Council unanimously approved its master plan Monday. The 491-acre landfill on San Diego’s eastern border will convert 26 acres of designated open space for landfill use in part to cope with the county’s growing need for somewhere to put their trash. The Miramar Landfill is predicted to be full within 10 years, though ...

A bike-sharing program could be up and running as early as next spring if Mayor Jerry Sanders and three businesses vying for a permit to operate in San Diego have their way. Sanders and Councilmen Kevin Faulconer and Todd Gloria called on the public to test out the equipment from three bike-share companies Monday at Petco Park and provide feedback about which would be best for San Diego. Sanders’ goal is to create a bike-rental ...